Elijah
ee-LYE-juh /ɪˈlaɪ.dʒə/
Meaning of Elijah
Elijah comes from the Hebrew אֵלִיָּהוּ (Eliyyahu): eli ('my God') + yahu (a short form of the Tetragrammaton). Elijah was a major prophet in the Hebrew Bible, especially associated with the books of Kings. The name has been used in English continuously since the Reformation.
Current popularity of Elijah
Rankings from the most recent fully-published year in each national registry. Source links at the foot of the page.
| Registry | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| United States (SSA) | 2024 | #4 |
Notable bearers of Elijah
Elijah (Hebrew Bible prophet); Elijah Wood (actor); Elijah Cummings.
Similar names & variants
Cognates, spelling variants and close relatives. Click any name with an underline to read its own page.
Sibling-name suggestions
Names that pair stylistically with Elijah — useful as middle names or for siblings.
About this entry
Compiled by the Baby Name Finder editorial team following the rules in our Methodology and Editorial guidelines. If you spot an error, please tell us; our corrections policy is at /editorial-guidelines#corrections.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-05-31